Information in this article taken from a discussion with FOHO WV: FOHO WV believes a comprehensive spay neuter program for West Virginia is key to solving many of the animal welfare issues related to unwanted animals. Eight years and three legislative bills later, the program is established, the rules written and the funding secured to control the over population of pets and community cats throughout our state. The FOHO WV goal was to alter 11,247 dogs and cats yearly and in 2020 and the WVDA Spay Neuter grant altered 10,438 dogs and cats including community & feral cats. The first three years have been a stunning success.
Agriculture will be in place through June of 2027.
99.9% of the money comes from out of state funding. This is collected by adding an additional fee to the already existing fee paid by pet food companies to register their brands of dog and cat food at the WV Dept. of Agriculture. It is expected that the program funding for 2019 will increase by more than $100,000 anticipating even more success in 2019.
The program established by the WV Legislature to be administered by the WV Dept. of Ag. with a committee appointed by the commissioner to assist with the program.
The funding mechanism for the state’s spay/neuter program is an increase on an existing fee already paid to the WV Dept of Agric. for pet food registration. This required an act of the legislature with the Commercial pet feed bill HB 2552 Passed April 8, 2017 – In effect for 10 years.
Program is administered by the West Virginia Dept. of Agriculture. AG Comm. appointed a spay neuter committee to help with this. The FOHO group has two people on the committee for now. After all, they led 100% of the work to get this passed since 2009. It has 3 bills supporting the program. The program, the rules and the funding, all passed different years.
| Year | Total Dogs | Total Cats | Community Cats | Total animals altered | Counties served | Total Grantees |
| 2018 | 2,669 | 6,284 | not tracked | 8,953 | 45 | 35 |
| 2019 | 2,315 | 4,731 | 2,881 | 9,927 | 48 | 55 |
| 2020 | 2,175 | 5,354 | 2,909 | 10,438 | 50 | 64 |
| 2021 | 1,857 | 7,917 | 3,040 | 9,774 | 51 | 68 |
Who is eligible for a grant?
501c3 nonprofit incorporated groups and animal control agencies that provide spay neuter services to WV owned cats and dogs and community cats. (Refer to listed rules at WVDA)
Testamonials from some who received a 2019 grant:
“Operation Fancy Free Inc. was thrilled to be selected for the WV Spay & Neuter Grant program. With these funds in one year we sterilized 274 cats; 150 females and 124 males. We are so appreciative of these grant dollars!” Kathy Stone, co-founder, Operation Fancy Free, Inc.
“The state grant is a lottery win for organizations in rural areas where fundraising is limited” Chip Adkins, Humane Society of Pocahontas County
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Fix’em Clinic Charleston – 5 Counties served Thank you West Virginia Department of Agriculture for supporting our mission of reducing and eliminating euthanasia in shelters due to pet overpopulation. The WVDA awarded us a grant to provide even more affordable spay and neuter services to those in Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Roane and Clay county. A total of 837 animals benefited from the grant!
We look forward to helping even more next year.
Testimonials for 2020
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The Humane Society of Pocahontas County
The 2019 Spay/Neuter initiative grant through the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has been expended ($30K) and our program has come to an end for this year. Thanks to the WVDA for their assistance and insight, the legislators who made this possible through the pet food tax, and funds from the Pocahontas County Commission as well as the many donations locally and from afar that has made it possible to do this for a second year. Only half of the $30K came from the state, the other $15K we raised to make this happen. We are set to apply again next year and hope to continue on with this important work. The numbers below represent our results.
April-October 2019
Dog Spay: 82 Dog Neuter: 56 Cat Spay: 85 Cat Neuter: 68 Community Cat Spay: 93 Community Cat Neuter: 52
Total: 436
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Animal Outreach Project, INC. – 5 counties served
This year we were awarded the WV Dept of Agriculture Supporters of WV Spay Neuter Assistance Fund. This year we were able to spay and neuter 159 animals with our grant. 37 being dog spays 16 dog neuters, 57 cat spays, and 49 cat neuters. Of those cats, 61 were community strays or ferals. We helped people in 5 different counties but primarily here in Upshur county. We couldn’t do it without your continued support. We thank you greatly for decreasing the number of euthanized and unwanted animals
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Appalachian Peace Paws – 8 counties served
We are proud to have received the WV Spay Neuter Assistance Fund Grant for the second year! This year we were able to help spay/neuter 154 animals with these funds, and the funds of those donated to help us match these funds. 154 animals from 8 different counties in West Virginia were able to be spayed/neutered! Thank you for your continued support to help us with this lifesaving work.
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Mercer County Humane Society 2 counties served
We are very pleased to have received a $15,000 grant from the state of WV and to have matched it with our own $15,000 grant that enabled us to issue vouchers for 1300 pets in Mercer & McDowell counties during 2019. These vouchers provided for surgery, a pain injection and a rabies vaccine for each patient. This is large and positive step in the right direction of population control for companion animals and infectious disease control for unclaimed animals.
Testamonials from some who received a 2018 grant:
The Fix’Em Clinic contributed by utilizing their $16,000 grant to leverage $32,000 of Spay and neuters in 2018 between our opening in late February through October. Thank you WV Spay Neuter Assistance Fund for helping us help pets from Boone, Logan, Mingo, Lincoln, and Roane Counties. Libby Minotti Ballard, President of Board, Fix’Em Clinic
Operation Fancy Free, Jackson County was thrilled to be selected in the first year for a $5000 grant. We provide TNR services and we were able to spay/neuter 225 cats with the grant in 2018! Kathy Stone, President and Co-founder.
Save a Kitty Feral Cat Program: 247 community cats and kittens were sterilized and vaccinated through Save a Kitty Feral Cat Program from Parkersburg during 2018 with the assistance of the WV S/N fund. We are elated that this fund is available for the state of WV. We will have a record year for 2018. As of November 30th, 800 community cats and kittens have been sterilized through our TNR program. Great job Save a Kitty FCP !!!! Kandi Habeb, Founder
Way to go WV Animal Groups for putting WV on path to controlling pet overpopulation!
Source- Provided by FOHO WV